


Seeing Green

by EasilySpooked



Category: Beetlejuice (1988), Beetlejuice - All Media Types
Genre: Bj is a little shit but we love him anyway, Emotional Manipulation, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mommy Issues, Recovery, They all become a little family, let trash man be happy please
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2020-12-23 20:57:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21087722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EasilySpooked/pseuds/EasilySpooked
Summary: What happens when you throw an unstable trash demon into a house owned by a family that's still trying to sort out their issues? Let's find out.Or, Beetlejuice goes crawling back to the Deetz home to save his skin. After striking up a deal with Juno he has to decide just how far he'll go to keep a few friends. His only friends. Has he ever had friends before??Buckle up bitches, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.





	1. The First One

Beetlejuice sat slumped in the chair across from his mother’s desk. He picked at his nails mindlessly and stared at the ground. A centipede was lazily making its way across the tiled floor. Silence had reigned over the office space for what felt like an eternity – broken only by the clicking of a keyboard and the scratching of a shredded nail.

Beetlejuice had been travelling the world by himself for nearly two years, exploring popular vacation spots, scaring locals, casually searching for his dad in his spare time, the like. He was terrorizing a small family in Belgium when he received a message from Juno. It stated that she was very much not dead and requested his presence at her office. At first, he resolved not to come. He was trying to move on with his life after all. The first week he shrugged off easily. The second week he became restless. By the end of the month Beetlejuice was overcome by a feeling of impending doom.

And so, he wound up here, sitting five feet away from his mother, the menace of his childhood. As the centipede slithered away, he started to bounce his leg on impulse and his eyes struggled to find a place to look. In an effort to relieve the awkward pressure in the room, he let out a heavy sigh and shifted his weight obnoxiously, lifting his feet to sit cross legged on the chair. The sounds of the keyboard immediately stopped. Beetlejuice lifted his head and looked at his mother expectantly. Two unimpressed eyes appeared over the computer monitor and stared directly back at him.

“Feet on the floor.”

He let his feet fall back to the tiles but held eye contact, curling up his lips in a sneer. “Oh so you’re gonna actually talk to me now?”

Juno kept her gaze steady, sitting rock still in her chair.

“I had a great time in Belgium, thank you for asking. It’s wild over there if you know what I mean.”

Juno stayed mute.

“I smashed puss.”

Absolute silence.

Beetlejuice chuckled uncomfortably. “Tough crowd.”

The clacking of the keyboard resumed, and Beetlejuice groaned loudly. “Jesus Christ. Can you just say something so we can get this over with? You know we both don’t wanna be here. Cut the shit.” As if to spite him, Juno began to type faster. Her fingers, little more than bones encased in a fragile sheet of skin, flew between keys in a blur. Beetlejuice watched with mounting anger as he was ignored, a feeling he was well accustomed to and hated more than anything. Without thinking, he shot up to standing. His chair clattered to the floor behind him from the force and he inwardly cringed at the crashing noise. The furious energy that had been building up inside him left with a whoosh, his confidence betraying him.

“Pick up the chair Laurence, and for the love of God sit down. You’re going to give me the afterlife’s equivalent of an aneurysm.” Juno’s smooth voice was finally heard, as annoyed and demeaning as always. Beetlejuice did so without a word and hastily sat, both feet glued to the floor and his back straight as a rod. He eagerly awaited her next words, relieved that they were finally getting somewhere. Juno rolled her eyes and muttered to herself, “This is why I never wanted kids.”

She took a deep breath before turning to her son. “You made me wait a whole month for this Laurence. A whole month. And you expect me to be able to take time out of my busy schedule to chat? I had time set aside, need I say it again, a whole month ago. If you came in when the letter very clearly told you to, I might have entertained your disgusting shenanigans. But now??” Juno took a deep breath and steepled her fingers in front of her face, trying to calm down. “After you tried to brutally murder me,” Beetlejuice snorted a laugh at the thought (cowboy hats and sandworms) but Juno’s withering gaze quickly shut him up. “I ended up back here in a shit load of trouble and was saddled with a fuck ton of paperwork. Most of which I’m still filling out and I probably won’t be done for, say,” She exaggeratedly checked her watch, “A decade or so. No biggie.” Beetlejuice winced. Her face said that it was indeed a ‘biggie’. Juno leaned in maliciously. “I have half a mind – no scratch that, three quarters of a mind to restrict your powers and keep you here in this office for however long it takes to fill out this goddamned paperwork times two.”

His eyes widened and he leaned forward. “Hey, hey, hey. Let’s think rationally here. I can’t handle office work; I’m not built for that stuff.” He began to panic as no reply came. “Come on Juno. Mom? Don’t do this!”

Juno growled low in her throat. “Stop your whining Laurence, you know I hate it.” She pushed the computer monitor aside and leaned towards her son conspiratorially. “Listen. It’s been bothering me that that Deetz girl managed to escape the rules, once you go to the Netherworld, you don’t come back.” Beetlejuice perked up at the mention of Lydia and drifted off into thought. Juno slammed her fist down onto the table and he jerked his attention back to her, startled. “I’m offering you an out here. If you can get Lydia back here to the Netherworld, I’ll consider not enslaving you for the foreseeable future. Got it?”

Beetlejuice hesitated. His instinct was to accept right away but something was holding him back. Lydia was the closest thing he had had to a friend throughout his whole afterlife. He was filled with a strange urge to stay loyal to her. Some part of him wanted to look good in her eyes, to impress her and exceed her expectations. Could he really forget all of their history just to save his skin? Was it worth a broken friendship if it meant he wasn’t trapped powerless with his unfeeling mother?

Beetlejuice smirked. “Sure, I’m down.”


	2. Surprise

Lydia rolled out of bed drowsily and stumbled out of her room. She rubbed her eyes clear of sleep with one hand and swung lazily on the banister on her way downstairs. Adam and Barbara were curled up on the couch together watching the morning news. Adam perked his head up as Lydia came into view and smiled excitedly. He prodded Barbara, who was snuggled into his shoulder, and waved at Lydia.

“Happy Birthday Lydia!!” He exclaimed.

Barbara sat up, beamed and chimed in, “Happy Birthday! There’s a surprise for you in the kitchen.”

Lydia grinned. “Hey, thanks guys.” Adam hugged Barbara closer as they turned back to the TV. More awake than before, Lydia continued on to the kitchen.

She peeked inside and gasped in amazement. Charles whirled around. “Lydia! You’re up early.” He was decked out in an apron and oven mitts, clutching a pan of fresh baked muffins. Delia, who was laying out a bowl of raspberries on a table dominated by a massive stack of pancakes, snapped her head up and inhaled sharply.

“You’re not supposed to be here yet!” Delia squealed.

Charles set the muffins down and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Surprise?”

Lydia grinned brightly and embraced her father in a bear hug. After a surprised moment, he squeezed her back, letting out a deep chuckle. “This looks incredible.” Lydia said enthusiastically. Turning her head, she found Delia, looking a little lost beside her bowl of berries. She pulled away from her dad and embraced Delia warmly. Delia hesitated before hugging her back, Lydia’s infectious happiness spreading a smile across her face. “I can’t believe this is all for me.” Lydia exclaimed, stepping back.

“Eighteen years deserves something big.” Charles explained.

“_You_ deserve something big.” Delia added.

Lydia was overcome by happiness. Over the past two years they had slowly grown closer and closer together. She could confidently say that she felt at home with Delia and her dad. With Barbara and Adam, they formed a comfortable, although odd, family. Lydia would never forget her dead mom, but with a family like hers, she was no longer consumed by grief. She was eternally grateful to all of them for patiently helping her, even when she messed up. She knew for a fact that they would always have her back no matter what.

“This is insane, how did you make all this?” Lydia said, looking over the feast before her. They had made her favourite breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes with fresh fruit. She hovered over the table excitedly for a moment, drinking in the smell, before the steaming pan of muffins caught her eye. Lydia’s eyes widened and she approached the treats, bittersweet memories filling her mind. Before her were apple cinnamon muffins, a recipe her mom had always prepared for her birthdays.

Charles shuffled his feet, embarrassed. “I, uh, tried my hand at them this year. I felt bad that you missed out on them on your last birthday so…” He cleared his throat. “I doubt they’re as good as your mother’s though.”

Lydia smiled softly. “They look perfect.” She turned back to him. “Thanks.”

Delia clapped her hands together. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving. Who’s ready to eat?”

\-------

Lydia dragged herself out of the kitchen forty minutes later, followed by Delia and Charles. She flopped onto the nearest armchair and groaned over-dramatically.

“God, I’m so full. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat again.” Lydia rolled over and let her head hang off the edge of the cushion. Charles and Delia sat next to Barbara and Adam, the four trying to hide their amusement at Lydia’s acting.

“You better be hungry enough for cake later.” Barbara chided playfully. “Adam and I made it and it took forever.”

“And I was the taste tester!” Delia added.

“A much needed one.” Adam shook his head. “Not being able to eat isn’t very helpful while making food.”

“Oh my god, you guys really went above and beyond for this!” Lydia gaped. “You really didn’t have to. Just being here is honestly enough.”

Adam snorted and started to laugh. “That’s probably the cheesiest thing I’ve heard in real life.”

“Why wouldn’t we spoil you? Don’t be silly.” Barbara chimed.

Lydia lifted herself upright and leaned in. “Okay, but seriously now. You know I’m all for surprises, and I’ve really enjoyed these last few, but are there any others? You didn’t invite family over, did you? I don’t think I want to suffer through awkward small talk with relatives we barely talk to.”

“No one’s coming over. I know that’s not your thing.” Charles said. Lydia sat back, relieved.

“Speaking of surprises, when are we doing presents?” Adam asked excitedly.

Lydia shrugged. “Now?” They all looked around at each other and no one seemed opposed to the idea. Adam pumped his fist eagerly.

“You have no idea how hard its been to keep this a secret. I’m so excited!” Adam exclaimed.

Delia spoke next. “We all collaborated on the gifts, although the Maitlands deserve credit for having the best ideas."

Barbara and Adam blushed and waved off the praise. “You were the ones who paid for everything.” Barbara pointed out.

“How about we start on the presents and you can congratulate each other afterward?” Lydia suggested jokingly.

“I’ll go get the big one.” Charles volunteered. “Start with the other present first.”

As he jogged to his room, Barbara reached out her hand and floated the TV remote into reach. “Remember how you kept mentioning how much you wanted Netflix?” She started.

“And how we were probably the only family in America that didn’t have Netflix already?” Adam interrupted.

“No-freaking-way.” Lydia’s jaw dropped as Barbara flicked through the apps installed on the TV.

“Yes way!” Delia squealed.

Lydia jumped up as Barbara landed on the most recently installed application, its red letters bold against the black background. She let out a whoop of joy as the word "Netflix" flashed briefly and show titles began to fill the screen. “Oh my god, YES! Thank you guys so much, this is incredible!” Barbara offered up the remote and Lydia took it, eagerly flipping through titles. She was just about to start adding things to her List when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see her father holding a box wrapped in black paper, a bright blue ribbon wrapped around it.

“I wrapped the box!” Delia announced proudly. “I know you like black, but I just had to add something colourful to it.”

“It's beautiful, thank you!” Lydia beamed, her excitement levels at an all-time high. She sat down again and held the box in her lap, practically vibrating with anticipation. She carefully untied the ribbon and wrapped it around her wrist. She had to admit, it was a beautiful shade of blue. As slowly as she could manage, she unwrapped the present.

Everyone tensed up as the gift was finally revealed, eagerly waiting for her reaction. Lydia’s hands flew to her mouth as she stared down at the box in front of her. She was stunned into a frozen silence at what she saw. It was something she hadn’t expected to see in her hands, at least for a very long time. The box that sat in her lap loudly proclaimed that it was a Canon EOS Rebel T6, something that had been on her wish list for years. She turned to the audience watching her, face stuck in an expression of extreme shock.

“You got me a new camera?” She finally managed to gasp. Before anyone could answer, she had proceeded to tear open the box, carefully pulling out the prize inside. Lydia held it delicately in her hands, afraid to accidentally ruin it. Her feelings were so intense, she could do little more than stare, slack jawed, at the fantastic thing that was finally in her grip.

“This is beyond amazing.” She said shakily. “I never dreamed…” Lydia looked up suddenly. “How did you know?”

Adam piped up. “Remember when you were showing me your pictures and mentioned it? I thought it would be nice to get it for you.”

Lydia shook her head in amazement. “But how did you remember the exact name and everything?”

Adam pointed to Charles. “When I mentioned the camera, your dad knew exactly which one you meant. Apparently, you’ve wanted it ever since you knew it existed.”

Lydia softly set the camera down on the coffee table before launching herself at her dad, enveloping him in a giant hug for the second time that day. Charles let out a _woof_ as the air left his lungs. He returned the embrace, amusement playing out on his face. After a few moments, he relaxed his hold on Lydia and motioned at the camera.

“Why don’t we all take a big group photo for your first picture?” He suggested. Lydia nodded enthusiastically in response and beamed, jumping up to get her camera. She was just about to pick it up when the doorbell rang.

Lydia’s head snapped up as she stared at the door. “You’re sure you didn’t invite anyone over?” She questioned, narrowing her eyes at her dad suspiciously. Charles shook his head, puzzled.

Delia shifted to get up. “I’ll go get it.” She offered.

“Nah, I’m already up.” Lydia waved her off. “You should all get in a place for the picture.” She made her way to the door. As an afterthought she called back, “Also, Barbara and Adam, you should get those sheets. I want you to actually show up in the photo.” And with that, she pulled open the heavy front door.

A gravelly voice greeted her.

“Surprise, Babes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mostly just filler and set up for later drama. A necessary evil. More exciting chapters incoming!


	3. Chaotic Beej

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Beetlejuice *technically* doesn't have emotions, but also fuck that he has emotions now.  
Credit to Amydiddle for the title inspiration :3

Lydia couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She froze in shock.

She thought they would never see him again. When he left two years ago, she had breathed a sigh of relief, glad the chaos was finally over. For the first year she kept expecting him to pop up at any moment and lived in a state of constant apprehension. As the months kept coming demon–free, she learned to relax. Little by little she came to terms with the fact that he was probably never coming back. Lydia couldn’t deny that letting go of him hurt, but she told herself it was better in the long run.

Except here he was. Her fragile peace with what happened two years ago shattered in an instant. Memories came flooding back unprompted and overwhelmed her, burying her under a wave of repressed emotions.

“Lydia? Who’s here?” A voice was calling her name, but she could barely hear them over the ringing in her ears.

“Is there something wrong?” Lydia stumbled back and collided with someone’s chest.

“Lydia! Wha-” Silence claimed the room.

It was Barbara who broke the silence. “Beetlejuice?” She asked, her mouth hanging open.

“What’s up guys!” He responded cheerfully.

Lydia struggled to get a hold of herself. She tipped her head slightly to the side, looking around her. At some point while she was still reeling with shock, her whole family had come up to the door in curiosity. She had backed up right into her father's chest. His familiar presence at her back helped to ground her. She collected herself and turned back to the demon standing on her doorstep. 

“What’re you doing here?” Lydia demanded to know.

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes. “’Hey BJ, you should come in, it sure looks chilly outside.’ Wow, thanks everyone! It’s cold as death out here.” He stepped inside chuckling. Everyone simultaneously backed away from him as he advanced. He slowed and looked at them in hurt confusion. “Jeez what’s your problem? Your long-lost friend is back!” He spread his arms in a welcoming gesture and Lydia flinched.

“Excuse me Beetlejuice, I think I speak for all of us when I say this is sort of an unwelcome surprise.” Adam said hesitantly. Beetlejuice looked from person to person in disbelief. When he met Lydia’s eyes, she gave him a cold glare. Frustrated, he threw up his arms and vanished.

Lydia blinked, confused. Could it really be that easy?

“Can I just say a few things?” A grating voice was coming from their couch.

Of course not. She thought to herself and spun around to face the demon, followed by the rest of her baffled family.

“First off, Adam, your sexy ass doesn’t excuse you being rude as hell. That was harsh.” Beetlejuice started. He was sitting stretched out on the couch, his hands behind his head. “Second, when did my best friend turn into such a major bitch?” He raised an eyebrow at Lydia. “I’m not mad Lyds, just disappointed. Third!” He jumped up to his feet and confronted the family. “I see you got Netflix.” He gestured to the TV which still displayed the lists of shows. “That was unrelated to everything else, I just thought it was sweet. Fucking finally. You guys must’ve been the only family in America to not have Netflix.”

Lydia’s mouth twitched upward into a smile which she desperately tried to stifle. He really hadn’t changed a bit. She found it hard not to slip into her old patterns, to banter back and forth. It scared her how easily she seemed to forget everything he’d done to them. The longer he was here the more Lydia realized how much she’d missed his dumb humour, the same humour she possessed.

Beetlejuice didn’t miss the flash of the old Lydia returning and latched onto it. For his plan to work, he had to get them to trust him again. He needed Lydia to convince the others to let him stay. Technically, he could zap her back to the Netherworld right now, but he wanted to have some fun first. Mess with everyone again. Their reactions were all priceless last time. Also, Netflix had a few horror films he was long overdue to watch.

Charles stepped forward. “You need to leave. Now.”

“Yeah!” Delia added. “It’s Lydia’s birthday and you weren’t invited.” She smirked smugly but Beetlejuice just broke into a grin like a kid on Christmas. He could take advantage of this information.

“You didn’t tell me it was your birthday, babes!” He exclaimed. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could Beetlejuice skipped up and put his hands on her shoulders. “No need for apologies, I completely understand. Invitations are very hard to get to the Netherworld. Besides, I was in Belgium, so you sent the letter to the wrong address anyway.” He grinned and slapped her back, knocking her off balance. “You haven’t started on the cake yet, have ya?”

Charles scowled and started forward angrily, but Lydia stopped him. Everything was happening so fast she didn’t know what to think. She’d grabbed her dad’s arm without thinking and held him back uncertainly. Beetlejuice smiled wider, thoroughly overjoyed that he was slowly winning back her favour. It seemed as if everyone was staring her down, waiting for what she would say next.

Lydia looked around at her family’s faces. Fear, anger and confusion dominated the room. What she was about to say was crazy. There was no way she could propose her idea. No one would agree. Hell, even she didn’t agree. But when she looked over at Beetlejuice’s face, she could see something. It was just below the surface, hidden away from the world. An emotion she was well acquainted with. Loneliness. He tried to cover it up with jokes and his tough guy act, but she could see right through everything. When she looked at him, she could almost believe that there was potential to change. She could isolate that loneliness and teach him what it was like to care for someone and be cared for. Maybe, just maybe, she could tame the demon.

Also, she couldn’t deal with what would happen if she denied him. Lydia was emotionally tired from all the ups and downs of today. Too much was happening too fast and she needed a break. Her idea seemed to get better and better by the second.

Lydia took in a deep breath. “He went to all the trouble to come; I think we should let him stay for the party at least.”

Barbara narrowed her eyes. “Are you seriously suggesting we invite him into our home?”

Delia grabbed Lydia’s hands and squeezed them tightly. “Lydia. Are you being possessed? Blink twice if you’re possessed.”

Lydia rolled her eyes. “That’s not how it works.”

Charles had been staring down at Lydia wide-eyed ever since she suggested letting Beetlejuice stay. “How can you suggest such a thing? Don’t you remember what he did to us? Under no circumstances is he allowed to stay.”

“I’m right here ya know.” Beetlejuice sneered in mock offense.

Lydia faced her father, finally fed up with the situation. “Listen. It’s ten in the morning and so much has happened, I really just need to unwind. I don’t want to deal with an angry demon throwing a temper tantrum because he wasn’t invited to my birthday party so just let him stay. Now, let’s take a damn picture and sit down to watch Netflix.” Everyone was surprised by her outburst, including Lydia herself. “Please.” She added sheepishly.

The room fell deathly quiet, her family shocked into silence. No one was agreeing, but no one was disagreeing either.

“Score.” Beetlejuice smirked.

Lydia turned on him, pointing her finger menacingly. “And you! I might be letting you stay, but I’m still mad. No messing around, I’m serious. I’ll kick your demon ass back to hell.”

“Netherworld. Calling it hell is technically offensive.”

Lydia glared daggers at him.

Beetlejuice put his hands up in surrender. “All right, all right! I’ll be good.”

Lydia scrubbed her face with her hands. “Happy birthday to me.”


End file.
